2011 Student Achievements

* Students Justine Gruen and Rebecca Wieneke each received a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad during the spring 2012 semester. K-State has now had 30 recipients of the congressionally funded scholarship for international study abroad. Gruen used her $2,500 Gilman Scholarship to study in Turkey, while Wieneke used her $2,000 Gilman Scholarship to study in Botswana. January 2012

* Kelsey Castanon, senior in journalism and mass communications, placed fourth in the prestigious William Randolph Hearst Journalism Award Program's feature writing contest. Castanon won for her article "Father, daughter relationship tested after his confession: 'I’m gay.'" Written for a magazine and feature writing class, the article was published in the Kansas State Collegian. December 2011

* Two K-State graduate students and an alum received national honor society Phi Kappa Phi's 2011 Love of Learning Awards. The $500 awards to help fund graduate studies or career development. Recipients are Ashley Gleiman, doctoral student in adult and continuing education; Hannah Leventhal, veterinary medicine student and graduate student in animal sciences and industry; and Christopher Nichols, a 2007 master's graduate. December 2011

* Heqing Huang and Su Zhang, both doctoral students in computing and information sciences, won the Best Student Paper Award at this year's annual Computer Security Applications Conference. Their award-winning paper, "Distilling Critical Attack Graph Surface Iteratively Through Minimum-Cost SAT Solving," was co-authored by Xinming "Simon" Ou, Kansas State University assistant professor of computing and information sciences, and two collaborators from the University of Michigan. December 2011

* Jinzi Chen, senior in management, received a Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals' scholarship, one of two awards given annually to Kansas City-area students by the Kansas City Heartland Roundtable of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. Chen, who is interested in a career in supply chain management, also was chosen to represent the Kansas City area at the 2011 Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals global annual meeting in Philadelphia, Pa. December 2011

* The university's student chapter of the Associated General Contractors has again been recognized as one of the best in the nation for its good works. The Associated General Contractors of America selected the chapter as second in the nation for 2010-2011. The chapter also was ranked highly in 2009 and 2010. December 2011

* The commercial construction team placed second at the Associated Schools of Construction's Region IV annual conference, Oct. 26-29, in Nebraska City, Neb. The team was assigned a project for constructing a three-story addition to an existing, functioning four-story hospital. The team also had to complete an oral presentation the day after completing their project. The actual construction company that built the project judges each team. The team is coached by Eric Bartholomew, assistant professor of architectural engineering and construction science. November 2011.

* A team of four Kansas State University students won the International Leadership Association's Case Study Competition, a part of the association's annual conference, Oct. 25-29, in London. For the competition, the team researched and presented a leadership solution to the Ghana urban water problem. K-State also won the competition in 2006. November 2011

* Dana Gude, master's student in electrical engineering, was one of two honorable mentions for the Alton B. Zerby and Carl T. Koerner Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineering Student Award from Eta Kappa Nu, a national electrical and computer engineering honor society. The award recognizes outstanding scholastic excellence and high moral character, coupled with demonstrated exemplary service to classmates, university, community and country. October 2011

* Bethany Jochim, doctoral student in physics, is the recipient of the Leroy Apker Award, the top undergraduate honor awarded by the American Physical Society. As an undergraduate of Augustana College, Jochim did research work at K-State's J.M. Macdonald Laboratory. September 2011

* K-State's Jenna Dockweiler is one of only six veterinary medicine students nationwide to receive a 2011-2012 scholarship from the American Kennel Club. Dockweiler, a master's student in veterinary biomedical sciences and a second-year student in the doctor of veterinary medicine program, was selected for the $2,500 American Kennel Club/Companion Animal Recovery Scholarship based on her academic performance, activities with purebred dogs or related research, and need. September 2011.

* The K-State fountain wars competition team continued its string of top performances with another first-place finish at the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers annual international meeting in Louisville, Ky. Fountain wars is a hands-on, real-time design competition where students design and model a fountain to complete technical tasks. The model is then built and tested under time limits at the competition. September 2011

* Colby Heckathorne, senior in elementary education, Baldwin City, received a 2011 Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant to support two summer study abroad trips to China in May and Guatemala in July. Each year, Phi Kappa Phi awards $1,000 grants to support 45 undergraduates in study abroad experiences. August 2011

* Katie Costigan, doctoral student in geography, Glocester, R.I., has received the first YSI Graduate Student Scholarship and Equipment Loan, which includes a $10,000 scholarship, a $1,000 travel stipend and a loan of river monitoring equipment to use for her research. The award is the first of its kind from YSI Inc., an international Ohio-based company that develops water-monitoring equipment. July 2011

* Mitchell Kidd, a senior in sociology who is entering his second year as a resident assistant at the Jardine Apartment Complex's West End Neighborhood, was one of only 55 students selected to attend this year's Association of College and University Housing Officers-International STARS College, July 7-9, in New Orleans, La. The college features group presentations, mentoring, role play situations and other activities geared toward promoting student affairs and the university housing profession as a viable career option. July 2011

* Allan Richardson, senior in aviation maintenance, placed sixth in aviation maintenance technology at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Championship Conference in Kansas City, Mo., June 23-27. This was Richardson's second year to compete at the national level, and K-State Salina's fourth consecutive year to have a representative at the national championship. He qualified for the national competition by placing first at the state level in May. June 2011

* Megan Lawrence, a second-year veterinary medicine student, was selected for the Morris Animal Health Foundation's 2011 Veterinary Student Scholar program. Lawrence is one of 81 students to be selected for the competitive program, which provides a stipend to conduct research. Lawrence's project is "The Affects of Cefovecin on the Fecal Flora of Healthy Dogs." It looks at how giving the antibiotic Cefovecin to canines will affect their fecal bacteria, including E. coli, salmonella and enterococcus. Her faculty mentor is Kate KuKanich, assistant professor of clinical sciences at K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine. July 2011

* Alan Tillman, senior in industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, received the Seizmic Honor Scholarship from the Material Handling Education Foundation Inc. for superior academic achievements. Tillman is one of 29 students nationwide to receive an award from the foundation. He also is the department's 31st student to earn an award from the foundation. July 2011

* Two Kansas State University graduate students and a recent graduate have received 2011 Fulbright U.S. student scholarships for study abroad. The recipients are: Kyle Van Horn, a May 2011 graduate in modern languages, Abilene, who will travel to Germany; Chris Lemon, a graduate student in modern languages and pre-law, Belpre, who will travel to Germany; and Sofia Emi Pablo-Hoshino, a graduate student in political science, San Francisco, who will travel to Venezuela. June 2011

* Rachel Spicer, senior in civil engineering, received the prestigious Student Leadership Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers. The national award recognizes outstanding leadership in a student chapter or international student group through various activities, including services as an officer, leading special events and interaction with university administration among others. Spicer has served in a multitude of roles with the K-State chapter of American Society of Civil Engineers, including vice president, 2011-2012 steel bridge team co-captain and co-chair of the Mid-Continent Student Conference. June 2011

* Sean Webeck, master's student in security studies, Manhattan, received a 2011 Boren Fellowship. The fellowships are funded by the National Security Education Program and support students interested in national security by providing up to $30,00 for two academic years. Webeck will spend a year in Amman, Jordan, studying Arabic. June 2011

* Kabeer Jasuja, a doctoral student in chemical engineering, India, and Nihar Mohanty, a doctoral student in chemical engineering, India, have been recognized by the Global School of Advanced Studies as two of the top 20 graduate students across the globe. They will travel to Grenoble, France, from June 20 to 26 to attend the "Graphene Fundamental and Applications" session, which is conducted by worldwide leaders in carbon science and technology. June 2011

* Thirteen K-State students are among a select group of veterinary students receiving the Pfizer Animal Health Student Scholar Award for their outstanding contributions to the veterinary profession and to the well-being and medical care of animals. The scholarship was presented to 300 second- and third-year students from the 28 U.S. and three Caribbean schools of veterinary medicine. The scholars cumulatively receive $750,000 in scholarships. June 2011

* James Kale Monk, master's student in marriage and family therapy, has been awarded the Eileen C. Maddex Fellowship, a $2,000 grant from Kappa Omicron Nu, a national honor society in family and consumer science. The fellowship recognizes high quality of scholarship and potential for leadership. June 2011

* Five K-State students earned the Eli Segal Education Award from the Corporation for National and Community Service for completing the Careers for the Common Good AmeriCorps program. The award can be used to help pay federally backed student loans or tuition at accredited institutions of higher education. The aim is to promote higher education students' participation in service-learning activities that serve high-need communities. Aubrie Adams, Claudean McKellips, Marci Metcalf, Kirsten Salyer and Megan Stremel completed the program's requirement of 300 hours of volunteer service in the fields of education, allied health and nonprofit service. May 2011

* Nathan Owens, a sophomore in geography with a secondary major in natural resources and environmental sciences, Wamego, received a 2011 Ernest F. Hollings scholarship from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The scholarship is for students studying a discipline related to oceanic and atmospheric science and provides $8,000 per year for students with two years left of undergraduate study. May 2011

* A passive solar house project designed by a team of K-State interior design students is the winner of the Outstanding Student Achievement Award in the student division competition at the fourth annual Mid-America Design Awards, sponsored by the International Interior Design Association's Mid-America chapter. Team members include Stacy Davis, De Soto; Amy Boesen, Sedgwick; and Rachel Ellerbe, Ellisville, Mo. Their project was completed for Interior Design Studio 7 in fall 2010, which was taught by Hyung Chan Kim, assistant professor of apparel, textiles and interior design. May 2011

* Five K-State students earned the Eli Segal Education Award from the Corporation for National and Community Service for completing the Careers for the Common Good AmeriCorps program. The award can be used to help pay federally backed student loans or tuition at accredited institutions of higher education. The aim is to promote higher education students' participation in service-learning activities that serve high-need communities. Aubrie Adams, Claudean McKellips, Marci Metcalf, Kirsten Salyer and Megan Stremel completed the program's requirement of 300 hours of volunteer service in the fields of education, allied health and nonprofit service. May 2011

* K-State's PowercatPR chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America won the Fleishman-Hillard national Home Court Advantage campaign. The chapter competed against seven other state universities for a $1,500 award and a recommendation letter from the nationally known public relations and integrated marketing firm. The team created a public relations campaign to promote watching basketball games at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Aggieville. The campaign, four "Wing N' Watch" events during the K-State men's basketball season, increased restaurant sales up to 68 percent. May 2011

* Reid Lundin, architectural engineering student from Manhattan, has received the 2011 Council of American Structural Engineers Scholarship from the American Council of Engineering Companies. The national scholarship is worth $1,500. The scholarship recognizes academic achievement and experience in structural engineering. May 2011

* The SAE Aero Design Team's model aircraft, the Purple Albatross, placed second overall in the regular class event in the recent SAE Aero West Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. The international event had 34 teams participating. K-State has finished in the top 10 of the competition for seven consecutive years. The team's aircraft also placed third in maximum payload by carrying a load of 28.72 pounds -- a team record. May 2011

* Melissa Belz, doctoral student in geography, received the 2011 Chimborazo Student Research Grant Award from the Association of American Geographers' Mountain Geography Specialty Group. The $500 scholarship is presented to a graduate student who proposes outstanding research that promises to support the mission of the geography group, which is to foster communication, promote theoretical and applied research, enhance education, and encourage service related to mountain peoples, mountain environments and their interactions. Belz's doctoral dissertation is "Architectural Significance and Cultural Landscape Change: Ornamental Features of the Vernacular House in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, India." April 2011

* Audrianna Stowe, junior in interior design, is receiving a $1,000 scholarship from NEWH, an international network of the hospitality industry. Stowe, St. Charles, Mo., wants to work in the hospitality design field. April 2011

* Seventeen months of training and preparation paid off for 12 Air Force ROTC cadets with their selection for a special U.S. Air Force training program. The students, from both the Manhattan and Salina campuses, were chosen from among 3,338 college sophomores nationwide to attend the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps' one-month field training summer program in Alabama and Mississippi. April 2011

* Four Kansas State University students and two recent alumnae have received 2011 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, which provide more than $120,000 to outstanding students who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. The four students include: Jeffrey Hicks, doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering, Emporia; Emily Tummons, senior in biological systems engineering, Leawood; Andrew Satterlee, senior in chemical engineering, Overland Park; and Angela Tran, graduate student in agronomy, Prairie Village. Recent alumnae include Emily Mangus, a 2008 K-State summa cum laude graduate in biological and agricultural engineering, Manhattan; and Lindsay Ahalt, a 2009 K-State graduate in anthropology, biology, microbiology and premedicine, Jefferson, Md. April 2011

* A team from K-State finished in the top 26 percent of the Putnam Mathematical Competition, the most prestigious mathematics contest for undergraduates at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. The competition featured teams from 546 colleges and universities. Of the 4,296 students participating, two K-State students, Hui Cao and Brian Moore, finished in the top 14 percent. A third K-State student, Michael Batrick, finished in the top 18 percent. April 2011

* Jenna Surprenant, Marshall, Minn., won the national championship in persuasion at the American Forensics Association-National Individual Events Tournament, April 2-4, in Kearney, Neb. Surprenant is K-State's 28th national champion since the forensics team began in 1976. She's also K-State's eighth national champion in persuasion. April 2011

* K-State students topped the Kansas Association of Broadcasters' 2011 Student Broadcast Awards competition, receiving 52 awards -- the most by any school at the collegiate level. The competition included several entries from community colleges, colleges and universities in Kansas at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Most of the awards were for work done by students at K-State's FM radio station, Wildcat 91.9; the university's cable channel, K-State TV; and the website for the university's student newspaper, the Kansas State Collegian. April 2011

* K-State won its third national debate championship since 1991 when the team of Beth Mendenhall and Derek Ziegler won the Cross-Examination Debate Association's national tournament, March 18-22, at Binghamton University. Mendenhall also was named the Debater of the Year at the tournament. Other honors included All-American status to Mendenhall and Heather Woods; first team Academic All-American status to Mendenhall, Woods, Caitlyn Reynolds and Ashley Denney, with second team Academic All-American status to Gloria Funcheon. March 2011

* K-State mathematics students came up with multiple victories at the recent 2011 Kansas Collegiate Mathematics Competition. K-State teams won first and second place in the competition, while two K-State students placed second and third individually at the event. Other schools in the competition included the University of Kansas, Emporia State University, Baker University, Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg State University and McPherson College. March 2011

* Kansas State University students Dylan Works, junior in political science, finance and economics, and Brock Ingmire, junior in communication studies, have been chosen as two of 12 participants in the Coro Kansas City Summer Internship in Public Affairs. The summer internship is a full-time, 10-week program that develops future community leaders by exposing them to community issues, leadership development, civic leaders and organizations. Kay Barnes, former mayor of Kansas City, Mo., leads the program, which is a partnership with Park University's Hauptmann School for Public Affairs. Feb. 2011

* Five K-State journalism and mass communications students were recognized for their on-air talents by the Broadcast Education Association's 2011 Festival of Media Arts. Awardees included Emily McIntosh, who tied for third place in the air personality category for her K-State student radio program, "Hot Donna on The Wildcat 91.9"; Lucas Wempe, John Kurtz and Paul Harris, honorable mention in the specialty audio program category for "3ManWeave," which aired on The Wildcat 91.9; and Brent Pinkall, honorable mention in the television feature news reporting category for his story on a K-State professor's junk food diet. The story aired on "Manhattan Matters," a student-produced news program on K-State TV. Feb. 2011

* Two Kansas State University graduate students -- Sakshi Pahwa, doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering, Mumbai, India, and Lateef Syed, doctoral student in chemistry, Hyderabad, India -- were named KansasBio winners for their research presentations at the eighth annual Capitol Graduate Research Summit. The summit took place Feb. 17 at the Docking State Office Building in Topeka and featured Kansas-related research conducted by graduate students at K-State, the University of Kansas, the University of Kansas Medical Center and Wichita State University. Two students from each university were chosen as winners. Feb. 2011

* Kejia Li, doctoral student in electrical engineering, is a finalist in the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology's 2011 Student Prize for Primary Health Care competition, which challenges engineering students to come up with innovative technology to support and improve the delivery of health care. Li and his team received $10,000 to develop a final proposal for his project, "Everyday Carry Wireless Health Monitor with Customizable Surface Components." Feb. 2011